Vintage specialists share their favorite works of midcentury modernism
Dealer’s Choice
Midcentury modern vintage design has never been more popular. With so many options on the secondary market—an array of styles, materials, and price points—the hardest part about being a vintage lover is choosing your favorites. The struggle is very real! So we reached out to our network of seasoned dealers to find out which pieces from the midcentury, in their view, stand out from the rest. Read on to see their favorites.
Augustin David, Galerie Stimmung ♥’s Carlo Scarpa for Venini (ca. 1940s)
Paris-based Augustin David is a lifelong history buff—a penchant that informed and enhanced his many childhood trips to flea markets with his parents. In each object he comes across, he sees the imprint of the politics and cultures of another time and place. After studying law and art history in university, he went into auctioneering. This, however, turned out to be the wrong move for him. “I quickly felt that volume mattered above all,” he explains. “I never had the time,” he adds, “to study in depth all the objects that passed under my hammer.”
A year ago, David opened Galerie Stimmung, where he now has all the time in the world to indulge his fascination with vintage objects. “I approach my gallery as a home where arts converge with history,” he says, “and my expertise and enjoyment are a part of my daily existence.” It’s hard not to envy David’s work-life balance: “I am passionate about what I do; I investigate, research, and discover things every day.”
David’s love for the bygone artifacts knows no bounds. When pressed, though, he admits that the years surrounding World War II are very special to him. “I am particularly interested in the transition from rural to urban, from handcraft to industry, that intensified during the 1940s.” Complexity excites David, and the ’40s brought sweeping changes that generated conditions for seemingly contradictory movements. “From France and Italy to Finland and Japan, there was at the same time the steep rise of modernist design alongside a revival of traditional, regional arts and crafts.”
David cites the glasswork of Italian architect-designer Carlo Scarpa, produced by Venini in the ‘40s, as an ideal case in point, because it achieved a “difficult synthesis between the celebration of Murano glass tradition and a progressive attempt to rethink what contemporary art-glass could be.” He goes on: “Scarpa rehabilitated forgotten techniques while creating novel colors and shapes of incredible wealth and purity. The vase in my collection, which was designed around 1936 and produced about ten years after, is an example of an exquisite simplicity—demonstrating a search for perfect balance and proportion. It unfolds with a delicate lightness in a cohesive form that magnifies and reflects a delicately technical achievement in the service of evolution.”
Joop Schot, Artbrokerdesign ♥’s Friso Kramer’s Revolt Chair (1953)
Back in the 1990s, Dutch dealer Joop Schot of Artbrokerdesign sold computer systems to futures traders for a living; privately, though, he worked on his collection of contemporary design—pieces by Philippe Starck and Bořek Šípek, for example. Just as competition from Dell was becoming untenable, Schot had a chance encounter with a veteran vintage dealer in Antwerp, who took him under his wing and changed the course of his professional life. After a few years of mentorship, Schot started his own vintage design business in Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands.
Since then, Schot’s always kept a keen eye on trends in the secondary market. Around 2005, he noticed the great success that French dealers were having with midcentury French design, by the likes of Jean Prouvé and Charlotte Perriand. He realized that no one was building a comparable market for midcentury Dutch. He seized the moment, and ever since, he’s been refining his expertise alongside an impressive collection in this area, especially the inimitable work of Friso Kramer. Three years ago, in partnership with Galerie Catherine Houard, Schot mounted Paris’s first exhibition dedicated to Kramer. Most recently, he was asked to loan works for an exhibition and monograph on Dutch artist-designer Constant Nieuwenhuijs, currently on view at the Cobra Museum of Modern Art in Amstelveen.
For Schot, the 1950s were a magical time for design. He’s especially drawn to pieces that were exhibited at the 1958 Brussels World Expo. That moment in time, according to Schot, was brimming with possibilities. “Europe was successfully rebuilding and the opportunities for young designers were enormous,” he explains. “New technologies invented during the war opened up new modes of production, and people in general were embracing innovation.” For Schot, this spirit is captured perfectly in Kramer’s classic Revolt Chair, designed 1953 and produced by Ahrend De Cirkel. It garnered praise at both the 1954 Triennale in Milan and the Brussels World Expo in 1958—and went on to become a staple of offices and university classrooms across the Netherlands for years to come.
Aaron FitzGerald, Dagmar London ♥’s Ib Kofod-Larsen’s Elizabeth Chair (1956)
Like many vintage dealers, London-based Aaron FitzGerald was driven to his career by passion. After years in graphic design, he started restoring found 20th-century pieces just for fun. Within a few years, this side project became a full-fledged business. Today, Dagmar London operates from a brick-faced townhouse in the Stoke Newington neighborhood and specializes in furniture and ceramics from the heyday of Scandinavian modernism. FitzGerald expresses a fondness for all the big names in midcentury design, from the US and Brazil to Europe. But it’s the Great Danes—Hans Wegner, Finn Juhl, Kai Kristiansen, Niels Møller, for instance—that really set his eyes alight.
When asked to choose one piece that best captures his taste, he cites Ib Kofod-Larsen’s Elizabeth Chair, designed in 1956 and produced by master cabinetmakers Christensen & Larsen in Denmark. “My favorite period is probably 1945-1959,” he explains. “Danish designers like Kofod-Larsen were breaking new ground and moving furniture design on from the more traditional styles of their predecessors, such as Frits Henningsen and Kaare Klint. This generation of furniture, however, was still made by hand in small quantities—before industrialized furniture production took over in the 1960s. The artisanal production method lends an organic, unique quality to the pieces, which can really be appreciated up close.”
Patrick Christmann, Velvet Point ♥’s George Mulhauser’s Mr. Chair (c. 1960)
“I’ve been fascinated by old things since my early childhood—from rummaging through my grandparents house in Alsace to strolling through flea markets in Strasbourg,” says Patrick Christmann of Velvet Point in Karlsruhe, Germany. Through adulthood, Christmann’s obsession only grew, fueled by his many treasure hunts though Central and Eastern Europe. About 10 years ago, he realized he was running out of space to keep all his beloved design finds. So he partnered up with likeminded Birgit Mohr and Georgios Papapostolou and become a dealer. “There’s nothing better than making your passion into your profession,” he muses.
Christmann describes himself as a generalist who enjoys restoring and refreshing all manner of vintage furniture and objects. “Choosing the right color and material to maintain the original character of the piece,” he says, “is always an exciting challenge.” But, like FitzGerald, he holds a special place in his heart for the postwar era. “There was so much power and creativity after the long years of sadness and austerity,” he says.
Christmann’s favorite symbol of that creative boom time? The under-the-radar Mr. Chair by American architect-designer George Mulhauser, designed around 1960 and produced for a short time by Massachusetts-based masters of molded plywood furniture, Plycraft. You may notice that Mr. Chair has a lot in common with Herman Miller’s Eames Lounge (1957). That’s likely because Plycraft actually produced furniture for Herman Miller in the 1960s. Another fun fact: Mulhauser worked for years in the office of renowned designer George Nelson, who eventually admitted that Mulhauser was the true designer behind Nelson’s iconic Coconut Chair (1955).
Oliver Seitz, Time Tunnel ♥’s Joe Colombo’s Elda Chair (1963)
Oliver Seitz of Zurich-based Time Tunnel has always been a collector. “When I was a child,” he says, “I would collect bird feathers, little bones, and butterflies from the forest.” When he moved to San Francisco in the late 1980s, he fell in love with design from the 1960s. When he returned to Zurich in the ’90s, he decided to bring a bit of Haight-Ashbury with him. The early incarnation of Time Tunnel was dedicated to all things plastic and Pop Art—no wood allowed.
Today, Time Tunnel occupies a two-storied space in the Viadukt market of Zurich and showcases furniture, lighting, and accessories from across the 20th century, especially the work of Swiss designers like Max Bill and Jakob Muller. Fine wood abounds. Still, Seitz hasn’t lost his love for space age and hippy chic.
“My favorite style still comes out of the 1960s—it was such a colorful time with a lot of new influences and new materials,” Seitz says. He adds, “So many ’60s objects embody this big belief in the future.” When asked to name a piece that embodies the forward-facing era, Seitz goes to Italian Joe Colombo’s Elda Chair, designed in 1963 and put into production by Italian manufacturer (and now produced by Longhi). Named for Colombo’s wife, the Elda was one of the first easy chairs designed in molded fiberglass; for cushion, Colombo added looping rolls of leather upholstery. Now it can be found in the permanent collections of museums around the world, including MoMA, the Louvre, Vitra, and more.
* Images for the Elizabeth Chair and Mr. Chair courtesy of Wright Auction House; Elda Chair courtesy of Joe Colombo Studio
More to Love
Model 138 Chair by Finn Juhl for France & Son, 1950s
Arka Chair by Yngve Ekström for Stolfabriks AB, 1950s
FD-160 Rosewood Rocking Chair by Ole Wanscher for France & Søn, 1950s
Rosewood Senator Chair by Ole Wanscher for France & Søn, 1960s
CH-35 Oak Armchair by Hans Wegner for Carl Hansen & Søn, 1950s
137 Japan Chair & Ottoman by Finn Juhl for France & Son, 1950s
PJ-156 Rosewood Chair by Grete Jalk for Poul Jeppesen, 1950s
Model 137 Japan Chair & Ottoman by Finn Juhl for France & Son, 1950s
Model JH-501 The Chair Desk Chair by Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Hansen, 1949
Rosewood PJ-149 Colonial Chair by Ole Wanscher for Poul Jeppesen, 1950s
Wing Chair by Aksel Bender Madsen for Bovenkamp, 1960s
Model 66 Rosewood Armchair by Niels Otto Møller for J.L. Møllers, 1970s
GE-260 Chair & GE-240 Ottoman by Hans J. Wegner for Getama, 1950s
Rosewood Bench by Kai Kristiansen for Aksel Kjersgaard, 1960s
Senator Chair by Ole Wanscher for France & Son, 1960s
Rosewood Samso Lounge Chairs by Ib Kofod-Larsen for OPE, 1960s, Set of 2
Vintage Rosewood Model PJ-3011 Colonial Armchair by Ole Wanscher for Poul Jeppesen
AP-27 Armchair by Hans J. Wegner for A.P. Stolen, 1950s
Cross Leg Table by Ole Wanscher for Rud. Rasmussen, 1951
Model 121 Paper Knife Chairs by Kai Kristiansen for Magnus Olesen, 1950s, Set of 2
GE-240 Cigar Chair by Hans J. Wegner for Getama, 1955
Model 78a Rosewood Stool by Niels Otto Møller for J.L. Møllers, 1960s
Model 62 Rosewood Armchair by Niels Otto Møller for J.L. Møllers, 1960s
Vintage JH-501 The Chair by Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Hansen
Model 62 Rosewood Armchairs by Niels Møller for J.L. Møllers, 1960s, Set of 2
Vintage Rosewood Writing Desk by Severin Hansen for Haslev Møbelsnedkeri
GE-240 Oak Cigar Chair Hans J. Wegner, 1955
GE-270 Teak Lounge Chair by Hans J. Wegner for Getama, 1950s
GE-260 Teak Chair & GE-240 Ottoman by Hans Wegner for Getama, 1960s
AP-19 Papa Bear Oak Armchair by Hans J. Wegner for A.P. Stolen, 1950s
Mid-Century GE-240 Oak & Teak Cigar Sofa by Hans J. Wegner for Getama
Danish Rosewood & Leather Stools, 1960s, Set of 2
Model GE-240 Oak Cigar Chairs by Hans J. Wegner for Getama, 1950s, Set of 2
Paper Knife Rosewood Lounge Chairs by Kai Kristiansen, 1950s
Rosewood Armchair from Kai Lyngfeldt-Larsen for Søren Wiladsen, 1960s
Model 64 Rosewood Armchair by Niels Møller for J.L. Møllers
Rosewood Armchair by Johannes Andersen, 1960s
Lounge Chair by Kurt Ostervig for Rolschau Mobler, 1958
Lounge Chair by Frits Henningsen, 1940s
Vintage CH-25 Oak Lounge Chair by Hans J. Wegner for Carl Hansen & Søn, 1950s
GE-270 Teak Lounge Chair by Hans J. Wegner, 1956
GE-270 Teak Lounge Chair by Hans J. Wegner, 1956
AP-28 Mama Bear Chair by Hans J. Wegner, 1954
Teak Candidate Lounge Chair by Ib Kofod-Larsen for OPE, 1960s
Vintage Samsas Sofa by Carl Malmsten for O.H. Sjögren
Teak Dining Chairs by Johannes Andersen, 1950s, Set of 4
PJ-149 Colonial Chairs by Ole Wanscher for Poul Jeppesen, 1949, Set of 2
Danish Desk Chair by Erik Kirkegaard for Hong Stolefabrik, 1956
FD-146 Armchair by Peter Hvidt for France & Daverkosen, 1950s
GE-270 Chairs in Dark Teak by Hans Wegner for Getama, 1956, Set of 2
GE-270 Chairs by Hans Wegner for Getama, 1956
AP-16 Chairs by Hans Wegner, 1952, Set of 2
Vintage Danish Rosewood and Leather Stools, Set of 2
Candidate Chairs by Ib Kofod-Larsen for OPE, 1960s, Set of 2
Teak Paper Knife Chair by Kai Kristiansen for Magnus Olesen, 1955
Model 62 Chair by Niels Møller for J.L. Møllers, 1960s
Vintage Rosewood Stools, Set of 2
Dining Chairs by Poul Hundevad, 1958, Set of 6
GE-260 Chairs by Hans Wegner for Getama, 1950s, Set of 2
Model 42 Dining Chairs by Kai Kristiansen for Skovman Andersen, 1956, Set of 6
Model 82 Chairs by Niels Moller for J.L. Moller Mobelfabrik, 1970s, Set of 6
Danish Ottoman, 1960s
FD-135 Boomerang Chairs by Peter Hvidt and Orla Molgaard-Nielsen, 1956, Set of 2
Model 64 Chairs by Niels Moller for J.L. Moller Mobelfabrik, 1966, Set of 2
Sampsel Sofa by Carl Malmsten for AB Record, 1956
Rosewood Chair by Johannes Andersen, 1960s
Model 137 Japan Chair by Finn Juhl for France & Søn, 1953
JH-501 The Chair by Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Hansen, 1949, Set of 2
OS-29 Sideboard by Arne Vodder for Sibast Mobler, 1958
Chair by Kurt Ostervig for Rolschau Mobler, 1958
Model 1748 Armchair by Peter Hvidt for Fritz Hansen, 1940s
Model 215 Lounge Chair by Kurt Olsen for Slagelse Mobelvaerk, 1954
Paper Knife Lounge Chair by Kai Kristiansen for Magnus Olesen, 1950s
Papa Bear Chair by Hans Wegner for A.P. Stolen, 1960s
Rosewood Bench by Aksel Kjersgaard for Odder
Model 57 Rosewood Chair by Niels Møller for J.L. Møllers, 1959
Model 57 Rosewood Armchair by Niels Moller for J.L. Moller, 1959
Model 62 Rosewood Armchair by Niels Møller for J.L. Møllers, 1962
AP-16 Chair by Hans Wegner for AP Stolen, 1950s
Japan Chair by Finn Juhl for France & Son, 1950s
Rosewood Paper Knife Chair by Kai Kristiansen for Magnus Olesen, 1960s
Afromosia Lounge Chair from Greaves & Thomas, 1960s
Wing Chair by Aksel Bender Madsen for Bovenkamp, 1960s
CH-35 Chairs by Hans J. Wegner for Carl Hansen, 1960s, Set of 2
AP-19 Papa Bear Armchair by Hans Wegner for A.P. Stolen, 1950s
Danish Bow Fronted Rosewood Chest
GE-270 Teak Lounge Chairs by Hans Wegner for Getama, Set of 2
Danish High-backed Wing Chair, 1940s
Swedish Armchair by Carl Malmsten for AB O.H. Sjogren, 1959
Lounge Chair by Kurt Ostervig, 1958
Model 51A Sapele Armchair by Arne Vodder, 1951
Senator Teak Rocking Chair by Ole Wanscher for Cado
Mahogany Writing Desk by Severin Hansen Jr. for Haslev Mobelsnedkeri
Brazilian Rosewood Chest by Kai Kristiansen for Aksel Kjersgaard
GE-240 Cigar Sofa by Hans Wegner for Getama, 1956
Rosewood Chest by Kai Kristiansen, 1960s
Danish Teak Bureau by Borge Mogensen for Soborg
Tove Easy Chair by Madsen & Schubell for Bovenkamp
Rosewood Armchair by Kai Lyngfeldt-Larsen
Mid Century Teak Cabinet by Kai Kristiansen, 1960s
Danish Rosewood Chest of Drawers
Yellow Armchair by Guy Rogers
Vintage Armchair by Peter Hvidt for Fritz Hansen
Vintage Scandinavian Vase by Gunnar Nylund for Rorstrand
Vintage Stoneware Vase by Claes Ivarsson, 1986
Model 62 Chair by Niels O. Moller
JH-503 Chair by Hans Wegner for Johannes Hansen
Vintage White Teak Chair by Peter Hvidt for France & Sons
Sliding Door Rosewood Cabinet by Kai Kristiansen, 1960s
Lounge Chair by Ib Kofod-Larsen for Selig
Rosewood Senator Rocking Chair by Ole Wanscher for France & Søn, 1959
Model 215 Lounge Chair by Kurt Olsen for Slagelse Møbelværk, 1954
Rosewood Armchair by Grete Jalk for Poul Jeppesen, 1959, Set of 2
Seal Chair by Ib Kofod-Larsen for OPE, 1959
Elda Chair by Joe Colombo for Comfort Italy
GE-240 Cigar Chair by Hans Wegner for Getama
Danish Bow Fronted Teak Chest
136 Lounge Chair by Finn Juhl for France & Søn, 1956
Blue GE-270 Lounge Chair by Hans Wegner for Getama
Small Danish Mid-Century Teak Desk
Wing Back Chair by Frits Henningsen for Georg Kofoed, 1940s
Danish Rosewood Cabinet by Kai Kristiansen, 1960s
Lounge Chair & Footstool by Kurt Ostervig for Rolschau Mobler, 1950s
Rosewood Chest from NC Mobler, 1960s
Mid-Century PJ-3011 Colonial Armchair by Ole Wanscher for Poul Jeppesen
AP-27 Chair by Hans Wegner, 1954
Elm Wood Round Chair by Illum Wikkelso, 1960s
Mid-Century Salen Chair by Ib Kofod-Larsen for OPE
Model 62 Rosewood Armchairs by Niels Moller, 1960s, Set of 2
GE-270 Lounge Chair by Hans J. Wegner for Getama, 1956
Black Arka Chairs by Yngve Ekstrom for Stolfabriks AB, 1950s, Set of 2
Krobo Walnut Bench by Torbjorn Afdal for Bruksbo, 1960s
GE-240 Cigar Oak & Teak Sofa by Hans Wegner for Getama, 1955
Dutch Wing Chair by Aksel Bender Madsen for Bovenkamp, 1960s
Troja Desk Chair by Kai Kristiansen, 1960s
Danish GE-240 Cigar Chair by Hans Wegner for Getama
GE-260 Lounge Chair by Hans J. Wegner for Getama, 1950s
Cross Chair by Fredrik Kayser for Rastad & Relling, 1950s
Vintage Danish Teak Sideboard by Arne Vodder for Sibast
Rosewood Paper Knife Chairs by Kai Kristiansen for Magnus Olesen, 1955, Set of 2
Danish Teak Lounge Chair by Grete Jalk, 1960s
Rosewood Chest by Arne Vodder, 1950s
Danish Teak Paper Knife Model 161 Chairs by Kai Kristiansen for Magnus Olesen, 1950s, Set of 2
Danish Lounge Chair by Kurt Ostervig for Rolschau Mobler, 1958
Danish AP-16 Oak Lounge Chair by Hans J. Wegner for A.P. Stolen, 1950s
Danish Senator Rosewood Rocking Chair by Ole Wanscher for Cado, 1960s
Danish Teak Bench by Kai Kristiansen for Aksel Kjersgaard, 1950s
Danish Teak Bedside Cabinets by Aksel Kjersgaard, 1950s, Set of 2
Danish Solid Rosewood Model 62 Armchair by Niels O. Moller for J.L Moller Mobelfabrik, 1960s
GE-260 Teak Lounge Chair by Hans J. Wegner for Getama, 1950s
Model 137 Japan Chair & Ottoman by Finn Juhl for France & Son
GE-270 Lounge Chairs by Hans J. Wegner for Getama, 1950s, Set of 2
Danish Teak Compass Chair by Erik Kirkegaard for Hong Stolefabrik, 1960s
Vintage Rosewood Dining Chairs by H.W. Klein for Christian Linneberg, Set of 6